You And Me, Mr T, By The Beautiful Sea
by SweeneyToddRocksMySocks
Summary: When Mrs. Lovett falls ill, the only way for her to recover is a trip to the seaside. Of course, Toby and Mr. Todd come. Mr. Todd is not thrilled, and tries to make it a miserable trip, but it's so hard with Mrs. Lovett's contagious happiness. Sweenett
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hello again! It's me with another story for your enjoyment. I've just finished a lovely vacation by the sea and was inspired to write this. _

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sweeney Todd. Or Mrs. Lovett. Or Toby. Or pretty much anything else. All rights go to Dream Works, Warner Brothers, Stephen Sondheim and Tim Burton. I think....**

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It was the dead of winter, and snowing outside. The icy winds tore through Fleet Street howling loudly, and the cold air seeped through any cracks in windows or doors. Everyone bundled up in thick layers and kept stones and anything else that could be warmed in their pockets. They blew into their hands and did their best to keep warm. Everyone that is, except for Mrs. Lovett.

She was hot. The bakehouse was always rather warm, but today it was sweltering. She wiped the sweat from her face and pushed her damp curls out of her eyes. Very damp curls.

"Toby." she called as she went from table to table, serving hungry customers. They hadn't opened the outside dining area because of the cold and the tiny shop was packed with people, wanting a warm pie. "Toby." she called again, having to shout over the noise.

The boy was instantly at her side. "What is it mum?" he asked.

"Is it hot in here love?" she asked, fanning her face with her hand.

"I'm rather cold." Toby replied, "Are you all right? You look flushed."

Mrs. Lovett managed a smile. "I'll be all right. After the rush is over, I'll just step outside for a tick and cool off."

Toby flashed her a look of concern. "If you say so." he said, and ran to serve an elderly couple who had just entered. Mrs. Lovett could hear him saying "Looking for some of the best pies in London?" She knew she could always count on that boy to-

Since when had it become so much warmer? Mrs. Lovett tugged at her dress, trying to loosen it a little. She knew it was a fruitless attempt; she had too many layers on. _Just need to make it through the rush _she thought to herself. But it seemed that each minute the shop got hotter and hotter.

Finally, most of the people had cleared, leaving Mrs. Lovett and Toby to clean up the mess they had left behind. By the time the shop looked presentable, Mrs. Lovett was gasping for air, she was so hot.

"Toby.. I'm just... going to….bring up Mr. Todd ....some of this....soup." she managed to say. Toby nodded and continued to scrub the counters. "You sure you don't need any help?"

Mrs. Lovett shook her head. "I'm sure dearie. Thank you though." With a weak grin, she went out into the cold. As soon as the cold air hit her face, Mrs. Lovett gasped. Letting out a cry of relief and breathing deeply, she walked up the stairs to Mr. Todd's barber shop. At the top of the stairs, she paused, and was suddenly overtaken by a fit of coughing. She leaned heavily on the rail and continued to cough for a moment and then forced herself to stop. With a sigh, she opened the door and entered the shop.

"Afternoon Mr. Todd." she said wearily.

Mr. Todd graced her with a curt nod and turned back to sharpening his razor. Mrs. Lovett shrugged and set his tray down.

"Brought some soup for you love." she said, "Should warm you up a-" Mrs. Lovett doubled over and began to cough violently. Over and over her tiny body shook with the force of her coughing. Mr. Todd turned sharply and watched as her coughing ceased.

_Too warm_ Mrs. Lovett thought.

"Mrs. Lovett?" Mr. Todd asked, "Are you feeling well?"

_Hard to breathe_

Mr. Todd strode over to her and placed his hand on her shoulders. "I said, are you all right?"

_Oh Lord I'm going to cough again_

"Mrs. Lovett, can you hear me?"

_Tell the room to stop spinning_

"Mrs. Lovett!"

_Need to lie down_

Mr. Todd was about to turn away, when Mrs. Lovett's eyes rolled back and she began to crumple to the ground. Before she could hit the floor, Mr. Todd caught her limp, unconscious figure. Picking her up, he wondered where to lie her down. He decided to take her downstairs. If the judge came while she was laying on his cot in the corner, he would probably get the wrong impression and leave. Yes, downstairs was definitely the best place.

He carefully trudged down the icy steps and entered her shop. Toby glanced up and his eyes widened. "What happened?" he asked, running to the baker's side.

"She passed out boy, what's it look like?" the barber snapped. "Just tell me where to put her."

Toby led Mr. Todd down a hallway and into Mrs. Lovett's bedroom. "Right here I suppose sir." he said, obviously intimidated by Mr. Todd's presence.

Gently laying her down on her bed, Mr. Todd loosened the laces on her dress. That done, he turned to Toby.

"Sir, why did she pass out?" the boy asked timidly.

Mr. Todd shrugged. "I don't know." he replied, "Did she act differently at all today?"

Toby nodded. "Yes sir." he answered, "She was complaining about being hot earlier."

Mr. Todd laid a hand on Mrs. Lovett's forehead. It was very warm. "She has a fever." he mumbled.

"Should I get a doctor?"

Mr. Todd shook his head. "Not yet." he said, "This could be something mild."

Just then, Mrs. Lovett stirred. With a groan, she started to sit up, but Toby pushed her back down. "Not now, Mum." he said softly but firmly, "You need to rest a little."

Mrs. Lovett glanced around and realized where she was. "How exactly did I get-"

"You fainted in my shop," interrupted Mr. Todd, "and I carried you down here."

Mrs. Lovett was secretly overjoyed at this, but did not show it. "Thank you Mr. T." she said. She sat up and wrapped her arms around herself.

"What's wrong?" Toby asked anxiously. Mrs. Lovett smiled.

"Just a little cold dearie." she said, "Nothing to worry about." She shivered after saying this and Toby's face clouded with concern.

"Mum, you're sick." he said, "Please get some rest."

"I feel fine." Mrs. Lovett lied, "I don't need to rest." To prove her point, she stood up from the bed. She seemed to do alright, for a moment. Then she began to sway a little, and Toby grabbed her waist, sitting her back down.

"See?" he exclaimed, "You're not well at all. Please rest, just for a little while."

Mrs. Lovett sighed, knowing she couldn't fight. "All right." she relented, "But only for today." With a nervous glance at Mr. Todd she added, "If Mr. Todd doesn't mind."

Mr. Todd gave her a distant nod. With a turn of his heel, he left the room.

Toby watched the barber leave and then turned back to Mrs. Lovett. "Can I get you anything?" he asked.

"Another blanket would be wonderful." Mrs. Lovett said, "They're in the cabinet in the washroom."

The words had hardly out of her mouth when Toby whizzed out of the room and came back seconds later, panting, with a quilt in his hand. "This do?" he asked breathlessly.

Mrs. Lovett nodded and spread it on her bed. Climbing in, she reached out a hand to gently squeeze Toby's shoulder. "Don't know what I'd do without you." she said with a smile. Toby grinned and returned the gesture.

"Thanks Mum." he said. With a hug, he left the room, leaving Mrs. Lovett to get her much needed sleep.

Things were quiet on 186 Fleet Street until late at night, when Toby was awoken by strange noises coming from Mrs. Lovett's bedroom. It sounded like she was saying something, but he couldn't quite make out what it was. Running down the hall, the boy burst into Mrs. Lovett's room, to find her tossing and turning in bed, crying out things in her sleep.

"Put that down!" she cried, "Think of Johanna!"

Toby rushed to her side, and took her hand. "Please Mum," he said, "Wake up."

"No! No!" she gasped, "I can take care of her, I swear sir!"

The boy shook her shoulders. "Mrs. Lovett, wake up."

The baker began to sob in her sleep. "No, not again. Not another one. Please, tell me everything's fine."

"Mum, it's all a dream." Toby frantically cried, "It's not real."

But Mrs. Lovett continued to talk and cry deliriously. Poor Toby was at a loss for what to do, and decided to get Mr. Todd. He didn't particularly like the man, but Toby was sure the barber knew more than he did about fevers.

Running up the stairs, Toby pounded on Mr. Todd's door. "Mr. Todd!" he shouted, "Mr. Todd, come quickly."

Todd opened the door and glared at the boy. "Yes?" he asked grumpily.

"It's Mrs. Lovett sir," Toby said breathlessly, "She's taken a turn for the worse I think." Grabbing Mr. Todd's arm, he practically dragged him down the stairs and into Mrs. Lovett's room. She was still sobbing and thrashing around.

Mr. Todd turned to Toby. "Get me a damp cloth." he said. Toby rushed off to do exactly as he had said and was back almost instantly. "Here sir." he said, handing it to Mr. Todd.

For the next hour, Mr. Todd and Toby nursed Mrs. Lovett, cooling her forehead when she tossed in heat, and covering her with a blanket when she shook with cold, until finally she calmed down somewhat. Her fever hadn't broken but she wasn't crying out anymore.

"Thank you Mr. Todd." Toby said gratefully. Mr. Todd nodded and grunted, "Better get to bed boy. It's late."

Toby shook his head. "But what about Mrs. Lovett?" he asked "I need to stay here with her."

Mr. Todd rolled his eyes. "Look, I'll stay with her, alright?"

"Alright." Toby replied sleepily, "But come get me if anything happens." He stumbled out of the room and shut the door.

Mr. Todd turned back to Mrs. Lovett. She had begun to mumble again. He was in for a long night. _Remember to tell the boy to get the doctor tomorrow if she's like this in the morning_ he thought

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_A/N: Is it okay? Bad? Tell me what you think. Yes, I know they're not at the seaside, but it's coming, don't' worry....._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: You all probably don't care, but guess what? I got a job and start working tomorrow! I'm really really really excited!!!!! Okay, now on with the story. _

**Disclaimer: Yep, you guessed it. None of this belongs to me.**

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It was dark. Voices grew louder, and then faded away, babbling unintelligibly. Mrs. Lovett turned round and round, trying to see where they were coming from. She was upstairs in the barber shop, and there, in the corner, was Lucy Barker, raising a bottle to her thin lips.

Mrs. Lovett tried to stop her, but as hard and as loud as she tried, she couldn't hear herself speak. Lucy swallowed the bottle's contents and the scene faded. She found herself clutching a bundle tightly. Looking down, she saw the face of baby Johanna, but the child was ripped from her grasp. She pleaded and begged for the child back from the dark figure who had taken the bundle, but he turned and left, leaving Mrs. Lovett to.... the other bundle. She picked it up and found it to be her long dead child, the one who hadn't survived the birth. But she was gurgling happily now, and reaching her arms out to her mother. Mrs. Lovett held the baby close until Albert came. "Nell," he said, "Let go. She's gone."

Mrs. Lovett looked down to find the blankets empty, and she cried out in anguish. Albert's face morphed from one of sorrow to one of malice. "Sorry Nell." his voice mocked, echoing in her head. Mrs. Lovett crumpled to the ground and buried her face in her hands.

"Mum, it's all a dream." a voice said in the distance, "S'not real."

Other voices soon filled the air, fading to an unbearable whisper and then shouting piercingly, invading her mind and clouding all else.

"I'm so sorry Mrs. Lovett..."

"What's wrong with you, useless creature?.."

"Benjamin's been taken!..."

"I'll be taking care of her from now on..."

"No, not Barker..."

"Used to give it to us in the workhouse...."

"He will have his revenge..."

"She's a sad girl, and lonely too...."

"Alms, alms..."

"How I've lived without you all these years I'll never know..."

The voiced combined into one deafening uproar, shouting over and over, overwhelming Mrs. Lovett, till she could barely take it. Faces grew bigger and shrank. She didn't recognize any of the faces, but each one plagued her with their terrible expressions. She was about to succumb to madness when something cool touched her forehead.

Whatever the thing was, it continued to caress her face. Gradually, the faces disappeared, and the voices faded for the last time. Mrs. Lovett gratefully sank into blessed darkness....

- - -

Mr. Todd leaned back in the chair he had brought into Mrs. Lovett's bedroom with a sigh. It was almost dawn and he had gotten no sleep. Mrs. Lovett had been delirious throughout the night, crying out the strangest things. Her fever still had not broken, and he was exhausted. Several times he had almost gotten Toby up, but the boy would not have been much help without him there to direct him in what to do.

When the sun was just barely peeping in through the window, Toby walked in sleepily. "How is she doing?" he asked.

"No better," Mr. Todd answered, "I need you to fetch a doctor."

Toby was instantly awake. "Yes sir!" he said, fleeing the room. He was back within the hour, with a rather young-looking man carrying a large black bag. He immediately introduced himself to Mr. Todd.

"Hanson," he said extending his hand, " Doctor Edmund Hanson."

Mr. Todd nodded. "Todd," he grunted in reply. Hanson walked over to where Mrs. Lovett was laying. After examining her, he asked Mr. Todd, "How long has she been like this?"

"Since yesterday." Mr. Todd answered.

"Hmm." the doctor said, "Has she been doing any hard labor?"

"I'd say so." Toby piped up.

Hanson turned back to Mrs. Lovett and examined her again. "I think she's been working too hard, making her body vulnerable to disease," he said at length, "All she has is a fever, but because she's so weak, she can't fight it." He dug out a small bottle from his back. "Give this to her twice a day." he said, "Give her lots of water and under no circumstances let her take a warm bath. If it raises her temperature, it could be fatal. In fact, I'd recommend cool baths, to lower it." With that, he shook Mr. Todd's hand.

"Please let me know when she gets better, and call on me if she gets worse." he said.

Mr. Todd nodded. "Let me just run up to my shop so I can pay you." he said.

Doctor Hanson was soon gone (and no, I don't mean dead ) and Mr. Todd came back down to Mrs. Lovett's room, where Toby was about to administer the medicine to the sleeping Mrs. Lovett.

"Wait," he said, "Don't do it that way, she could-" But Toby had already poured the liquid into Mrs. Lovett's mouth. "choke." finished Mr. Todd. Mrs. Lovett started to cough, but then, her breath came in strange gasps. "Dammit!" shouted Mr. Todd, rushing over to the bed. He lifted her up and whacked her back solidly several times, until the passage cleared and she was breathing regularly.

"Don't, ever do that again." he said gravely, turning to Toby. The boy's eyes had filled with tears, and he nodded. "Yes sir." he quivered.

Mr. Todd sighed with relief and laid Mrs. Lovett back down. Then he realized that the baker's clothes were damp with sweat, and now stained with the medicine she just hacked up. "Shit." he said.

Those clothes were going to have to come off.

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_Review please! _


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Yay! I'm very happy with all the positive feedback. You guys rock!_

**Disclaimer: Let's see, I own... well..... there's the.... and then that thing...... still working on the..... okay fine. I don't own anything.**

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"What is it Mr. Todd?" Toby asked, wondering why the barber had cursed.

Mr. Todd glanced up nervously. "Um, well... I just remembered something." he stuttered, "I need you to run to the market and buy more tea. Mrs. Lovett will probably want some to go with her medicine." _Not a bad lie, _he thought to himself, as Toby smiled and ran out the door once more. "Be right back sir!" he called.

"No rush." Mr. Todd answered_. _He then turned to the task at hand. After searching through her drawers, he found a nightgown for Mrs. Lovett to wear. Setting it down on the bed, he rolled Mrs. Lovett over on her stomach. With a deep breath, he unlaced her dress, and gingerly pushed it off her shoulders. He pulled it off of her and then began on the rest of the layers. Finally, she was clad only in her corset, knickers and striped stockings. Making a face, Mr. Todd peeled the stockings off using the tips of his fingers, doing his best to not touch her skin. Full of dread, he slowly unlaced the corset, and then held the ends together. He rolled her over once more and pulled the nightgown over her head. Once her arms were through the sleeves, he reached up to pull off the corset when he found that it had-

_Oh my god_

Slipped. And instead of touching stiff, whalebone material, Mr. Todd was touching bare skin. He quickly retracted his hand cursing himself for being so stupid. He then realized he was still going to have to remove the corset completely, but he didn't trust himself to reach up her nightgown. So he sat her up and shook her limp body a little till the corset fell out on its own. Picking it up with two fingers, he threw it in a corner.

"Damn thing." he muttered hatefully, glaring at the offending article. He turned back to Mrs. Lovett and laid her back down on her bed. With a sigh of relief, he sat down in the chair, exhausted. When Toby returned, he found the barber asleep in his chair, the glare still plastered on his face.

The boy shrugged and left the room, and came back with a bowl of cool water and a cloth. Silently, as to not wake Mr. Todd, he gently began to wash Mrs. Lovett's face. It was then he discovered why Mr. Todd was glaring.

With a smile at Mr. Todd, Toby adjusted the sleeves of Mrs. Lovett's nightgown, pulling them up all the way on her shoulders. Maybe the barber wasn't all meanness and grouch after all.

But there was no way he'd ever say that to the man's face.

- - -

It had been a week and Mrs. Lovett's fever still had not broken. Mr. Todd was beginning to worry, and though he didn't tell Toby, the boy still knew something was not right. He could tell by the way Mr. Todd would snap at him, even harsher than usual and the way he paced all hours of the night at Mrs. Lovett's bedside. It was the way he would sleep and eat even less than usual to the point where Toby would have to plead him to get even an hour's worth of rest.

"Mr. Todd, please." Toby begged.

"I've said no." Mr. Todd answered.

"Mr. Todd, you're going to get yourself sick if you keep this up." Toby said, "Just a little bit of rest. I can take care of her for a while."

"I'll be fine," Mr. Todd said sharply, "So stop pestering me."

Toby sighed in defeat. "Yes sir." he muttered, "Do you need anything?"

Mr. Todd shook his head. "Not now."

"I'll leave you then." Toby said, "I'm going to go clean up the parlor a little. S'gotten real dusty."

Mr. Todd grunted in reply, concentrating on wiping Mrs. Lovett's flushed face with a damp cloth.

Toby shook his head at the barber, wishing he wouldn't be so stubborn. He appreciated all that he was doing, but at the rate he was going, he was going to catch whatever Mrs. Lovett had. With a sigh, he left to tidy up like he had said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Todd had resumed pacing Mrs. Lovett's bedroom floor. He appreciated the boy's concern, but honestly, he could take care of himself. And Mrs. Lovett. He was, after all, a grown man.

_Wait, _He thought, _I appreciate his concern? Where the hell did that come from? I thought I didn't like the kid._

But the truth was, that the boy had grown on him. Just a little. He didn't want to kill him anymore at least. And maybe he didn't mind the child's silent company. As much as he had initially.

A groan from Mrs. Lovett dragged him from his train of thought. Striding over to her side, he picked up the cloth, ready to wash her face again. But Mrs. Lovett's eyes fluttered open, and she cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Mr. Todd?" she rasped, voice hoarse from not being used. Mr. Todd, nodded, placing a hand on her forehead. It was cool. Finally. Mr. Todd choked back a cry of relief and instead answered, "Yes, it's me."

Mrs. Lovett was shocked at the barber's seemingly strange behavior and with a puzzled expression asked, "What the hell are you doing in my room?"

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_A/N: Short, I know, and with a bit of a cliffhanger. But seriously, I was getting tired of her being sick. A Sweeney Todd story just isn't a Sweeney Todd story without her you know?_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Sorry for the wait. It might take a while between chaps, just cause I'm a very busy person, with piano lessons, website building, debate and the like. Thank you all for bearing with me. :D_

**Disclaimer: Of course I own Sweeney Todd! (note my sarcastic tone)**

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Mr. Todd blinked. "I.. um.., what?" he asked, a little taken aback.

Mrs. Lovett struggled to sit up. "I said, what the hell are you doing in my room?" She gave up on sitting and flopped back down on her bed. After glancing down, her eyes widened at the sight the absence of her work dress and the presence of her nightgown and she gave out a squeak. "Did you...?"

Mr. Todd quickly averted his eyes and shifted his weight. Mrs. Lovett took this as a yes. She shrugged her shock off however, and concentrated on getting out of bed. Mr. Todd then snapped back to reality. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"I'm getting out of bed, what's it look like?" Mrs. Lovett snapped. She was having a hard time because of her lack of movement for the past couple of days. Mr. Todd took this opportunity to gently, but firmly, shove her back down. "You are staying where you are." he said.

Mrs. Lovett whined. "But I don't wanna stay in bed. I feel like I've been here forever!"

Mr. Todd made a face. "You've been in bed a week." he said quietly.

Mrs. Lovett's jaw dropped. "What?" she asked incredulously.

"After you got sick, your fever worsened and you were delirious for a week." Mr. Todd explained, "It's only just broken. So please, stay in bed a little while."

With a sigh, Mrs. Lovett made herself comfortable. "Fine." she said at length, "But could you bring me something to eat? I'm bloody starving!"

Mr. Todd ran a hand over his face. "That's because you barely ate this week. You pretty much lived off tea."

"Well no wonder I'm so-" She was interrupted by a wave of dizziness accompanied by nausea. "Ooh," she groaned, "Mr. T, I think I'm gonna be sick."

Mr. Todd, misunderstanding her meaning, replied, "You're already sick."

Mrs. Lovett clutched her stomach and said, "Just help me get to the bloody bathroom!"

Mr. Todd's mouth formed an O of understanding and he quickly grabbed Mrs. Lovett. "Come on then!" he said and carried her quickly out of her room. No wait, scratch that. He ran, half dragging her down the hall till they reached the bathroom.

Mrs. Lovett retched, but all that she could hack up was bile, as a result of her lack of eating. Once done, she slumped on the bathroom floor with a whimper. "Can I get a glass of water?" she asked quietly. Had she not been so sick, Mr. Todd might have found the situation slightly amusing. But she _was_ sick, pale and thin, head in her hands, leaning against the bathtub miserably, her wild curls all in her face, and all Mr. Todd could feel was pity.

"Sure." he replied quietly, "Do you want to get back in bed first?"

Mrs. Lovett shook her head. "No no," she said hoarsely, "Water first. Please. Can we go to the kitchen?"

Mr. Todd nodded. "Let me help you." he said, pulling her up from the floor. Together, they walked down the hall, Mrs. Lovett leaning heavily on Mr. Todd. Once in the kitchen, Mrs. Lovett sank gratefully into a chair with a sigh. At the counter, Mr. Todd poured water into a cup and then carried it to her.

Suddenly, Toby burst into the kitchen. "Mum!" he cried. Mrs. Lovett tried to conceal a wince, as every loud noise made her head throb. "Toby dear!" she said, trying not to sound as bad as she felt.

Fortunately, Toby did not notice. "How are you feeling?" he asked with a grin. Mrs. Lovett rolled her eyes in an exaggerated way. "I've been better," she said, "But according to Mr. Todd, I've also been worse."

Toby nodded. "I was so scared for you Mum." he said seriously. "And I think Mr. Todd was too." he whispered, leaning in closer, "But he'd never admit it."

Mrs. Lovett smiled and sipped her water. "I didn't think that he would." she whispered back. Then in a louder voice she asked, "And how did things go in my absence?"

"Well we didn't exactly open up shop." Toby said hesitantly, "Is that alright?"

"Just fine dearie!" Mrs. Lovett replied quickly, "I would never expect you to do that all by yourself. But I see that you have kept things nice and tidy." Toby beamed.

"Speaking of nice and tidy," Mrs. Lovett continued, "I'd like to take a nice hot bath if I can."

Toby opened his mouth to speak but Mr. Todd beat him to it. "No." he said sharply.

Mrs. Lovett blinked. "But I want one!" she said testily.

Mr. Todd strode over to where she was sitting. "There is no way I am letting you take a hot bath." he growled, leaning down to be eye to eye with her, "Understand?"

Too scared and shocked to do anything else, Mrs. Lovett nodded. "Yes." she said in a small voice.

Toby glared at Mr. Todd when the barber wasn't looking. "What he means is," the boy explained, "That you can't have a hot bath because it can raise your temperature. That's what the doctor said. But there's no reason you can't take a cool one. In fact, I think it's even recommended."

"Wait, a doctor?" Mrs. Lovett asked, "When did I see a doctor?"

Toby counted on his fingers. "About five days ago I think." he said after counting twice.

"Six." Mr. Todd corrected, "It was six days."

"So I can have a bath?" Mrs. Lovett asked, "As long as it's not hot?"

"Do you want me to draw you one Mum?" Toby asked. Mrs. Lovett nodded. "Yes please Toby," she said, "I would really appreciate it." Toby immediately sped off to fill the bathtub.

"I love that boy." Mrs. Lovett said out loud to no one in particular. Soon, Toby was back. "It's all ready." he said.

Mrs. Lovett smiled and struggled to stand up from her chair, mentally cursing her weakness. Toby, seeing her dilemma, took her hand and helped her up. "Thanks." Mrs. Lovett said. Toby walked her down the hall to the bathroom and then asked, "Are you sure you're going to be all right?"

Mrs. Lovett let go of his hand and held out her arms for balance. "I can take care of myself." she said, "See?"

Toby cast her a doubtful look, but shut the door. "What ever you say Mum." he said through the door. Then he turned and walked to the kitchen to inform Mr. Todd of the situation with his stubborn adoptive mother.

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_Uh-oh Toby, that probably wasn't a good idea. Anyway, there's chapter four for ya. Review and receive a nice tot of gin, aye?_


	5. Author's note

** Author's Note:**

I regret to inform you all that I have broken my arm. It's all up in a cast an completely immobilized. So that means that I'm going to have to take a break from this story. I'm like super-duper sorry, but it seriously takes forever to type with one hand. Please don't be mad. I really feel horrible about all this.


	6. Chapter 5

_I'm BAAAACCCKK!!! Turns out, I cracked my elbow (by falling out of a tree and landing on my hand, thus shoving my forearm into my elbow, cracking the radial head) and you can't cast a fully grown elbow because it will lock up (scary right?).They had to take the cast off. So I was in a splint for three weeks, and now I have to leave it off to move my arm. That means two hands to type! And that's what's happened to me. :D_

**Disclaimer: Listen, I just broke my arm *sniffs*. Don't go accusing me of stealing. I do not own anything here *sniffs*. So just leave before I loose *sniffs* it all *bawls***

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Mrs. Lovett carefully undressed, noting her weak hands. It was so frustrating to feel so helpless. Slipping into the tub, she gasped. Ice was probably warmer. _I thought he said cool water, _she thought, _not so-cold-it-kills-you ice water._

After her body adjusted to the temperature, she reached for the bar of soap above her. It was too high to grasp. Sitting up, she reached again. Still too high. With a sigh of frustration, she stood up and grabbed the soap. It slipped out of her wet hands and skidded across the bathroom floor. Mrs. Lovett rolled her eyes and with a growl, stepped out of the tub. Unfortunately, she hadn't counted on the trail of water and bubbles left by the soap. As soon as her foot touched the ground, she went flying for the floor.

The heels of her hands hit the floor, and continued to slide, taking the rest of her body with her, till she completely flipped over the tub side. She hit the ground with a thump and a groan. Rolling over, she sat up and glanced at herself, checking for damage. Her knees were bruised and her arms were a little sore, but there were no permanent problems. Except for that damn headache. She stood up and reached for a towel, deciding that she was done bathing for now.

Meanwhile.....

"You did what?" Sweeney roared.

Toby took a step back. "I helped her to the bathroom sir." he replied quietly.

"Without making sure she made it to the tub alright?"

"She didn't want me there!" Toby said frantically, "She was taking a _bath_ for goodness sakes!"

Mr. Todd started to leave the room. "I'm going to check on her." he said, "Foolish boy."

Arriving at the bathroom door, he stopped and put his ear to the old wood. He could faintly hear the soft movement of the water. Relieved that she was fine, he turned to walk away. He had reached the kitchen, when he heard it.

That loud thud, that brought dread to his stomach.

It seemed to be in slow motion, as he ran back down the hall, full of fear. He reached the door, and turned the knob quickly, finding it unlocked, and shoved it open.

Mrs. Lovett glanced up and gave a little shriek of surprise. She pulled her towel closer to her and hurried to slam the door. But not before she tripped on the pair of knickers she so carelessly left on the floor. Mr. Todd reached out a hand to steady her, and ended up with her face in his chest and a mouthful of fiery red curls.

Coughing and sputtering, he pulled his head away. "You're going to get yourself killed!" he exclaimed. After a quick glace, he asked, "What happened to your knees?"

"I slipped on some water," Mrs. Lovett said sheepishly, "And fell on 'em."

Mr. Todd shook his head. "This was obviously not a good idea," he said, "I'll help you to your room and you can get dressed."

Mrs. Lovett sighed. "I think I can get to my room on my own." she said. Mr. Todd frowned. "You just slipped out of a bloody tub woman!" he said, "And now you want to waltz down the hallway. I don't think so!"

Mrs. Lovett blinked and then nodded. "Fine then, Mr. Todd." she said, suddenly too tired to argue. She pulled herself from his chest and leaned on his arm. Once they reached her room, Mr. Todd left Mrs. Lovett to root through her dresser to find a clean nightgown for her to wear.

"Seems you know my drawers pretty well, Mr. Todd." Mrs. Lovett remarked as Mr. Todd pulled out a crisp, white nightdress. Then, realizing the double meaning of her statement, burst out laughing. "I'm...sorry." she said between giggles, "I didn't mean it that way."

"Mmm, I'm sure you didn't." Mr. Todd said absently, "I'll be right back with your medicine and some tea.

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_Yeah yeah, I know, short. Unfortunately, I am a little busy. But I wanted to post a little before this brain of mine blacked out on me. _


	7. Chapter 6

_I know, I know, it's been like what, a week? Will a sorry help at all?_

**Disclaimer: No, Sweeney Todd does not belong to me. But he belongs with me. :P**

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Mrs. Lovett had finished dressing when Mr. Todd came back in with her tea. "Think you can hold this down?" he asked, referring to her incident earlier.

"I think so," Mrs. Lovett answered, "I feel a little better. But I'm so bloody tired!"

Mr. Todd said nothing and set the tea down on her dresser. "Let's get you into bed then." he said gruffly, "Don't want you keeling over. Again." He made a point of stressing the word again, and Mrs. Lovett rolled her eyes. "Yes sir." she said.

"Look," Mr. Todd snapped, "If you want to get sicker and then die, then-"

"I wasn't serious." Mrs. Lovett interrupted, "I'm tired anyway." To prove her point, she slid under her covers and settled down. Mr. Todd handed her a spoonful of medicine. "Drink up." He said.

Mrs. Lovett took a taste and made a face. "EW!" she exclaimed, "It's disgusting! Repulsive! Nauseating! How can you expect me to take this?"

Mr. Todd growled and took the spoon. "You have to take this Mrs. Lovett, whether you like it or not." he said. When Mrs. Lovett began to protest again, he took the opportunity to shove the spoon into her open mouth. She coughed and sputtered for a moment, and then swallowed the lot. "Ugh!" she said once it was down. She shuddered and grimaced. "That. Was. Awful." she said in a high voice, "Where's that tea?"

Mr. Todd silently handed her a cup, struggling not to laugh. The look of surprise on her face when he forced the medicine in was priceless. Mrs. Lovett noticed his predicament and narrowed her eyes. "S'not funny Mr. Todd," she said grumpily, "I'd like to see you take that blasted stuff."

"Another time pet," he replied, "Right now I think we need to send for the doctor."

Mrs. Lovett raised an eyebrow. "But I thought I was feeling better." she said, puzzled.

"That's why," said Mr. Todd, "He said to have him come back when you had recovered somewhat."

"Ah," Mrs. Lovett responded, "I see. Well then send Toby I guess."

An hour or so later, Doctor Edmund Hanson was once again in Mrs. Lovett's bedroom.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Lovett," he said cheerily, "I see you are feeling better?"

Mrs. Lovett shifted in bed. "A little," she said, "I'm not talking in my sleep any more." She grinned and continued, "I still feel tired and weak and I can't walk straight."

The doctor nodded. "That is to be expected after what you've been through." He scribbled something down on a pad of paper and handed it to Mrs. Lovett. "No leaving your bed except when necessary for a week, and after, no hard labor. We don't want to risk a relapse."

Mr. Todd thanked the doctor and escorted him out. When he returned to Mrs. Lovett's room, he found her out of bed and sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair.

"Are you daft?" he exclaimed suddenly, causing Mrs. Lovett to drop the hairbrush, "Did you not hear what he said?"

"This is necessary," Mrs. Lovett said and picked up her brush. Mr. Todd stalked over to her and took the brush from her hand. "It's not." he said.

Mrs. Lovett tried to get her brush back from Mr. Todd, but he kept it from her grasp. "Get in bed now." he ordered in a low voice. Mrs. Lovett shook her head. "I haven't brushed my hair in a week. I won't be able to rest in this mess. Some of my hairpins are still in!"

Mr. Todd rolled his eyes and dragged Mrs. Lovett off of her stool. "Bloody stubborn woman." he said, "You won't ever give up will you?"

Mrs. Lovett tried to pull away. "No I won't, now let me go." But Mr. Todd ignored her and shoved her down on her bed. After pinning her down with his knees, he then thrust his hands into her hair and began to pull the pins out, forcefully.

"Ow Mr. Todd, that hurts!"

"Then hold still!"

After a few minutes, all of the pins were removed from Mrs. Lovett hair. She had since stopped yelling at him to stop, and he had stopped pulling so hard. Mrs. Lovett was now lying in bed, exhausted from her struggle. Mr. Todd was in the chair, catching his breath. The baker had put up quite a fight for someone who had just recovered from being that sick.

"Are you all right?" he asked at length.

"No," Mrs. Lovett said suddenly, sitting up. She threw back the covers and began to get out of bed.

"Oh no you don't you little bugger!" Mr. Todd said getting ready to push her back down. But then he saw that her face was a pale shade of green and he realized why she was getting out of bed. "Let's go." he said, and rushed her out of the room.

They made it to the bathroom just in time. This time, Mrs. Lovett did hack up something, since- anyway. She was very grateful for Mr. Todd's strong arms supporting her, as she was fairly certain she wouldn't have been able to stand on her own. With a whimper, she leaned back into him, and felt her knees give way.

With a grunt, Mr. Todd picked her up. "You done?" he asked. Mrs. Lovett nodded, and wiped the tears that had somehow made it out. _Damn! _She thought, _Don't cry, don't cry_. She didn't mean to tear up, but she was feeling so terrible. "Can I go back to bed?" she asked.

At the same time, Mr. Todd said, "Let's get you back to bed." Mrs. Lovett gave him a half-smile. He carried her back to her bedroom, noting that she had become lighter since the afternoon she fainted. "You're losing weight." he said.

Mrs. Lovett sighed. "Seems everything's going bad for me right now." she said.

Mr. Todd laid her down. "You'll get better eventually." he said, in a rare moment of encouragement, "You'll see."

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_It's sorta filler-y I know. :/_


	8. Chapter 7

_A/N: I am soooo sorry. I feel really bad about waiting so long to update. My mom fell down our stairs and broke her leg, so I've been super busy filling in for her. So it's not really anyone's fault I suppose...._

**Disclaimer: No. Sweeney Todd does not belong to me. Why would you think that? **

* * *

Mr. Todd left Mrs. Lovett her room to rest. He shut the door, to find Toby anxiously waiting in the hall.

"How is she?" the boy asked.

Mr. Todd shrugged. "Better, and yet not." he answered, "Keep an eye on her. I need to run out for a little while."

Toby looked puzzled. "What for sir?" he asked, "I went to the market just yesterday."

"None of your business." Mr. Todd snapped. Toby, used to Mr. Todd's gruffness, simply blinked. "Just keep an eye on her." With that, Mr. Todd left.

Toby sat down outside of Mrs. Lovett's bedroom door and began playing with a piece of string he found in his pocket. Every now and then, he pressed his ear to the door, listening for Mrs. Lovett's steady breathing.

Meanwhile, Mr. Todd hurriedly walked down the street, occasionally glancing at a slip of paper in his hand. Finally, he arrived at his destination. Knocking on the door, he shoved the paper back in his pocket.

A maid opened the door. "May I help you?" she asked.

Mr. Todd, unused to talking to women other than Mrs. Lovett, was temporarily at a loss for words. He didn't want to sound too unfriendly. _Like you are to Mrs. Lovett half the time, _the voice in his head said.

"Um, yes. I need to speak with Dr. Hanson." Mr. Todd said, once he realized he hadn't said anything yet.

The maid, slightly frightened now by Mr. Todd's demeanor, nodded. "Yes sir," she said, " Are you ill?"

Mr. Todd shook his head. "No." he answered.

"Well then, I'll just go see if he is here. He has been out all morning. Do come in." The maid gestured for him to enter.

Mr. Todd stepped inside the large house and the maid led him to the parlor. She left and returned a few minutes later saying, "The doctor be here shortly."

Soon, the Dr. Hanson entered. "Ah, Mr. Todd!" he said cheerily, "What brings you here? It's not Mrs. Lovett is it?"

Mr. Todd nodded. "Sort of. I didn't want to ask you in front of her, or the boy."

"I see," Dr. Hanson replied, "Well, what is it?"

"I'm worried about her weight. She weighs less than any woman her size, and it seems like it's more weight than someone should lose even when sick."

Dr. Hanson frowned. "Has she eaten at all?"

Mr. Todd leaned forward. "That's just it." he said, "She can't keep anything down. It's been almost over a week since she's last eaten anything."

The doctor closed his eyes. "Hmm." he mumbled. "That's not good. Can you get her to keep anything at all?"

"No, not even tea." Mr Todd answered miserably.

"I may have to make another visit."

"The boy is not going to be happy." Mr. Todd said, "He's too protective of her."

Dr. Hanson stood up. "I didn't mean a visit to her. I meant to Fleet Street. I want to see her surroundings. There could be something we're not seeing."

Mr. Todd blinked. _Doctors don't usually do this do they? _he asked himself, _He's being rather nice. _Mr. Todd stood and pulled on his coat. "I guess I'll see you-"

"Do you mind if I come with you? I'd like to go now if possible." Dr. Hanson asked. Mr. Todd shook his head. "No," he replied, "It's fine."

The two men walked back to the shop in silence. Dr. Hanson was observing everything very carefully, occasionally muttering something unintelligibly. He was so distracted that he would have been run over by an oncoming carriage had Mr. Todd not dragged him out of the way.

"Could you possibly watch where you're going?" Mr. Todd asked, a slight edge to his voice.

"Thank you!" Dr. Hanson said, slightly shaken, "Mr. Todd, take a good long breath of air."

Mr. Todd raised an eyebrow, but obliged. He breathed in and upon consideration, found that it was different that around the doctor's house. "It's, it's-"

"Unhealthy." Dr. Hanson finished, "Unhealthy for the sick anyway. No wonder she isn't well."

"The air?" Mr. Todd asked, confused, "What does that have to with Mrs. Lovett?"

"Once Mrs. Lovett go sick, she inhaled the air, and it made her weaker."

"Well, how can we help her?" Mr. Todd asked. The last thing he needed was Mrs. Lovett to be an invalid for the rest of her life. _Of course, the only reason fool. _There was that annoying voice again.

The doctor frowned. "I'm afraid the only way would probably be for her to temporarily stay somewhere where the air is cleaner, like the mountains or seaside for example."

"Seaside?" Mr. Todd repeated, "The seaside?" That was something he could do.

"Why, um, yes." Dr. Hanson replied, "The seaside would be ideal."

The pair had come up on the shop. "I hope to hear that she is better soon." the doctor called as he walked back to his house.

Mr. Todd entered the shop and hurried back to Mrs. Lovett's room. Toby was nowhere to be seen in front of the door, but he heard voices coming from inside. He knocked and the voices stopped, save for a low whisper of "shit!" that sounded like Mrs. Lovett.

Mr. Todd pushed open the door and walked in. Mrs. Lovett was sitting in her bed and Toby was sitting on the chair. "What were you two doing." Mr. Todd asked sternly.

Mrs. Lovett glanced at Toby and then burst out laughing. Toby soon followed. His laughter stopped quickly however, when Mrs. Lovett's laughter turned to coughing. He hurried to hold her hand and kept saying, "It's alright Mum, it's alright."

Mr. Todd strode over and lifted her up a little, so she could breathe better. At length, her coughing subsided. "You alright?" he asked gruffly.

Mrs. Lovett nodded. "I'm... I'm fine." she said, trying to catch her breath. "Toby and I were just playing cards, cause I couldn't sleep."

Mr. Todd allowed a smirk. "And that accounts for the 'shit' I heard?"

Mrs. Lovett grinned sheepishly. "Well, I was afraid you'd be upset if I was awake when you came back."

"Normally I would be upset, but I was going to wake you up anyway." Mr. Todd said.

Mrs. Lovett's brow wrinkled. "Why?" she asked

"Because I was." Mr. Todd said sharply, "Toby, leave."

Toby reluctantly left, shutting the door loudly behind him.

Mr. Todd turned to Mrs. Lovett, who was waiting nervously.

"Mrs. Lovett, we need to talk."

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_Cliffhanger!! Dun dun dunnnnn!!! :P Hey, guess what I've been doing? I've been processing deer meat, cause my dad went hunting this weekend. So I've been able to use a meat grinder, just like Mrs. Lovett!! Fangirl freakout!_


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